[DeTomaso] A new engine in my future?

[Charles Engles]

Dear Tim,

           In my opinion.........

            I am not that impressed.   I am making 485 hp and 436 ft-lbs 
with *iron* heads, pump gas and a regular hydraulic lifter cam.

            You live in Seattle.   There must be some reputable engine 
builders with Ford Cleveland experience in a metroplex like Seattle.   Check 
with the POCA Chapter members.   Check with the local Shelby club.   Check 
with the local circle track or dirt track racers for their recommended 
engine builder.   I think that you would be better off to have your engine 
built locally by a real engine builder that you can talk to and return to if 
there are any problems.  Also you should get it dynoed and broken-in on the 
engine builder's dyno----then drop it in your Pantera.   I think you'll be 
far better off with the local approach than with an out-of-state engine 
builder.    Don't ask me how I know about using out-of-state engine 
builders.


                  Warmest regards, Chuck Engles



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tim Morgan" <morganuci at gmail.com>
To: <detomaso at realbig.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2009 8:00 PM
Subject: [DeTomaso] A new engine in my future?


> My 73's existing engine is somewhere in the neighborhood of 350 HP.
> Recently, it was making a strange noise, and the oil smells of gasoline 
> and
> there are a lot of metal filings on the oil drain plug.  Assuming it's
> toast, that leaves me with a few choices:
>
>   1. Rebuild my existing engine
>   2. Buy a new block, transfer everything else (heads etc.) from my old
>   engine
>   3. Buy a crate motor
>
> I'm leaning towards #3 because it seems like the fastest and easiest
> choice.  I also want to end up with a better, more powerful motor than I
> had, as long as I'm doing this, and buying a crate motor gets me a bunch 
> of
> new, hi performance parts all in one package.  Then the question is,
> Windsor, Cleveland, or something else?  I'd like to stick with Cleveland 
> for
> a number of reasons, including being able to reuse a lot of what I already
> have, such as my fuel injection system.  But of course, Clevelands are 
> much
> less plentiful than Windsors.
>
> So, I was looking at this particular engine:
> http://www.tuffdawgengines.com/ford_351C_445hp.htm.  It goes for $5195 as
> described.  He will install my intake manifold (sorry, I don't know what
> model it is, but it has the fuel injectors installed in it) in place of 
> his
> normal manifold.  His price includes testing, balancing, shipping, etc., 
> as
> in the description, but not breaking it in or dyno testing it.
>
> Is there an alternative that I should look at?  He has 100% positive
> feedback on eBay (on 19 transactions in the last 12 months), but does 
> anyone
> have experience with Tuff Dawg engines, good or bad (you can write to me
> individually rather than post if you prefer)?  I'm in the greater Seattle
> (Issaquah) area.
>
> Also, what cam or cam specs would be good for a fuel injected Cleveland 
> for
> street use?  He thought that the optimum would be different than with a
> carb.
>
> Tim
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